안녕하세요? In the previous lesson, you learned how to suggest using the "을까요? 1" ending. Today, you'll learn the second meaning of this grammar. It is about asking for the opinion of a listener!
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1. 을까요? Grammar
Meaning
을까요 2 is used to speculate about future situations or conditions and to seek the listener's idea or opinion. The speaker's guess is implied. You can translate it as "Do you think...?" in English.
내일 더울까요? Do you think it'll be hot tomorrow?
이거 매울까요? Do you think it is spicy?
Comparison
The 을까요 1 that you learned in the previous lesson was used to suggest doing something together. So, it was only attached to a verb stem.
을까요 2 that you'll learn today is for asking for an idea, thoughts, or opinion. So, it can be attached to a verb stem, an adjective stem, 이다(to be), or 아니다(to be not).
을까요 1 | 을까요 2 |
To suggest doing it together | To ask for an opinion or thoughts about someone or something |
Only used with a verb stem | It can be attached to all predicates; verb, adjective, 이다 and 아니다. |
Subject(topic): First person (we or with me) -Often omitted | Subject(topic): Third person |
같이 갈까요? Shall we go together? | 민수 씨가 갈까요? Do you think Minsu will go? |
2. Conjugation Rules
(으)ㄹ까요 has two forms; 을까요 and ㄹ까요. The final consonant is an important matter to conjugation!
Last lesson you learned the conjugation rules with verbs. Today, I'll show you conjugations with an adjective. They are pretty much the same except for some irregular rules. Also, you'll see how to conjugate with 이다 and 아니다.
Regular Rules
1) 받침 O: Add "을까요?"
When the stem has 받침(the final consonant), add "을까요?" to it.
좋다 to be good
The stem is 좋. → It has the final consonant ㅎ. So, we need 을까요. → 좋을까요?
The basic form | The conjugated form |
얇다 to be thin
The stem is 얇. → It has the final consonant ㄼ. → Attach "을까요?" → 얇을까요?
2) 받침 X: Add "ㄹ까요?"
When the stem has no final consonant, we add ㄹ까요. The first ㄹ goes to the final consonant spot of the stem.
간단하다 to be simple
The stem is 간단하. → We need to see the last syllable. It's is 하. → It doesn't have the final consonant, so please attach "ㄹ까요." Write ㄹ under the 하. → 간단할까요?
As you see, all adjectives with 하다 ending will be conjugated 할까요.
짜다 to be salty
The stem is 짜. → Add ㄹ under it. Attach 까요? → 짤까요?
예쁘다 to be pretty
The stem is 예쁘. → The last syllable is important which is 쁘. It doesn't have the final consonant! → Make one for it! → 예쁠까요?
3) ㄹ받침: Add "까요?"
Even if there is the final consonant, if the final consonant is ㄹ, you can simply add 까요. Well, it already has ㄹ after all.
길다 to be long
The stem is 길. → It has ㄹ 받침. It already has ㄹ, so we need 까요. → 길까요?
힘들다 to be hard
The stem is 힘들, but we always focus on the last syllable. It is 들. → Attach 까요? because it already has ㄹ at the end. → 힘들까요?
Irregular Conjugation Rules
Again, I'll skip the verb part. If you want to see the verb conjugation, please refer to 을까요 1 grammar.
1) ㅅ 받침: Erase ㅅ, add "을까요?"
When the final consonants matter, ㅅ will be erased first. Then you can add "을까요?"
낫다 to be better
The stem is 낫.→ Since it has ㅅ, let's erase it. → 나 → Let's add 을까요? → 나을까요?
2) ㅂ받침: Erase ㅂ, add "울까요?"
First, eraseㅂ from the final consonant spot. Irregular ㅂ words always need some special form. Instead of "을까요?" you need to add "울까요?" with the vowel "ㅜ".
덥다 to be hot
덥 → Erase ㅂ. → 더 → We need 울까요 instead of 을까요. → 더울까요?
3) ㅎ받침: Erase ㅎ, add ㄹ까요?
Usually, irregular ㅎ words have their special rule. But this time, it won't be too difficult. First, erase ㅎ. Then, add ㄹ in that empty spot you just made. Finish up with 까요 with a question mark!
파랗다 to be blue
The stem is 파랗. → The last syllable ends with ㅎ. Drop that ㅎ. → 파라 → Add ㄹ까요 to it. → 파랄까요?
You can think of it as a replacement as well. Replace ㅎ with ㄹ and add 까요.
이다 and 아니다
이다 is attached to a noun to show "to be". 아니다 is an antonym of 이다. For example, ask "Do you think he is a teacher?" we need to use 이다.
basic form | conjugated form | |
to be | ||
to be not |
1) 받침 O Noun: ㄹ까요? → 일까요?
The stem of 이다 is just 이. It doesn't have the final consonant. That's why we need to add ㄹ까요. 이다 will be conjugated to 일까요.
선생님이다 to be a teacher → 선생님일까요?
학생이다 to be a student → 학생일까요?
2) 받침 X Noun: 일까요? or ㄹ까요?
With or without the final consonant, 이다 will be "일까요?" However, when there is no final consonant, you can directly attach ㄹ까요 to a noun.
의사이다 to be a doctor: 의사일까요? OR 의살까요?
간호사이다 to be a nurse: 간호사일까요? OR 간호살까요?
However, this Nㄹ까요 form is only used in casual and spoken language. Don't use it for writing or formal situations.
3) N이/가 아니다: 아닐까요?
아니다 needs to be used as an expression "이/가 아니다." If a noun ends with a final consonant, use 이. If not, you'll add 가.
The stem of 아니다 is 아니. Which syllable is important? Yes, always the last one! 니 doesn't have the final consonant. Then, what do we need to add? ㄹ까요! So, combine all―아닐까요?
You have to be careful about the meaning. "아닐까요?" will mean "Don't you think?"
그는 학생이 아니다 He is not a student. → 그는 학생이 아닐까요? Don't you think he is a student?
3. Sentence Information
Answers
"을까요" has a guess meaning. So, the answers are usually used in the guess statement "을 거예요" form.
Q: 이게 매울까요? Do you think it's spicy?
A: 아마 매울 거예요. (I think) it's probably spicy.
Q: 진수 씨가 내일 올까요? Do you think Jinsu will come tomorrow?
A: 아마 올 거예요. (I think) he will probably come.
Past Tense
You can ask about the guessing of the past event. In that case, use the past tense word 았/었/였 in front of 을까요. If you need help with the past tense, please click here to read my other post.
았/었/였을까요?
가다 | 공부하다 | 먹다 | |
Present Tense | 갈까요? | 공부할까요? | 먹을까요? |
Past Tense | 갔을까요? | 공부했을까요? | 먹었을까요? |
젠 씨가 그걸 봤을까요? Do you think Jen saw that?
민수 씨가 출발을 했을까요? Do you think Minsu left?
윤지 씨가 그걸 들었을까요? Do you think Yoonju heard that?
4. Examples
같이 예문을 볼까요? (Shall we see some examples?) Try making your own examples as well!
1
가: 내일 더울까요? Do you think tomorrow's weather will be hot?
나: 글쎄요. 잘 모르겠어요. Well, I am not sure.
글쎄요 is like "Well" or "Hm." You can use it when you are not sure. 잘 모르겠어요 is a good expression to memorize. It means "I don't know," or "I'm not sure."
2
다: 지나 씨가 출발했을까요? Do you think Jina departed?
라: 아마 했을 거예요. She probably did.
출발하다 means "to depart." To mean "departed" as a past tense, the past tense word is inserted.
3
마: 이 영화 재미있을까요? Do you think this movie is fun?
바: 어제 봤어요. 재미있었어요. I saw it yesterday. It was fun.
재미있다 means to be fun. The stem of the word is 재미있. The last syllable 있 has the final consonant. So, we need 을까요.
4
사: (holding two clothes) 뭐가 나을까요? Which one will be better? (What do you think?)
아: 이게 나아요. This one is better.
When 낫다 is used as an adjective it means "to be better." It is also a verb. In that case, it means "to heal." You have to judge the meaning by the context!
5
자: 주말에 사람이 많을까요? Will there be many people on the weekend?
차: 아마 많을 거예요. There'll probably be many people.
When you answer, if you are not sure, you can use 을 거예요. 아마 means "probably" and it is often used with the "을 거예요" sentence.
5. Wrap-up & Worksheet: Asking Opinion
Let's review the (으)ㄹ까요 2 grammar. Read the summary and solve the quiz!
(으)ㄹ까요 2 is used to ask an opinion or idea about someone or something.
It can be attached to a verb stem, an adjective stem, 이다 and 아니다.
받침 decides the forms; 을까요 or ㄹ까요.
If you have any questions, please scroll down and leave a comment. 다음 시간에는(In the next time), you'll learn how to say "I want to V" in Korean. See you next time! (다음 시간에 만나요!)